Fostering Placements for Looked After Children - Find a freedom of information request

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information regarding Fostering placements for Looked After Children. Please provide answers on the attached accompanying spreadsheet.

1. Who, within the local authority, has commissioning responsibility for Fostering placements for Looked After Children? Please provide the following:

a. Name.

b. Job title.

c. Email address.

2. How many approved foster carer households are registered with the Local Authority as at 30 June 2020, 30 September 2020, 31 December 2020, 31 March 2021, 30 June 2021, 30 September 2021 and 31 December 2021?

3. How many Looked After Children (LAC) has the Local Authority funded in foster care placements, with in-house foster carers, with Independent Fostering Agency (IFA) carers, with Kinship (family and friends) foster carers and in IFA therapeutic fostering placements, as at 30 June 2020, 30 September 2020, 31 December 2020, 31 March 2021, 30 June 2021, 30 September 2021 and 31 December 2021?

4. What are the average weekly fees that the local authority would pay to foster care providers (in-house, IFAs and IFA therapeutic fostering placements) for the following age groups in 2020/2021 and year to date in 2021/2022?

a. 0 to 4.

b. 5 to 10.

c. 11 to 15.

e. 16 to 18.

5. Please provide a list of preferred Independent Fostering Agencies, the gross total expenditure with that agency and the number of placements with that agency in 2020/21.

Note: By 'preferred' we mean those agencies that would be considered and chosen for placements on a preferential basis by the council.

6. What is the gross total expenditure on fostering services for Looked After Children?

Please provide actual figures for financial years 2017/18 to 2020/21, as well as budgeted expenditure for 2021/22.

1. 

a. Name - Amy Allcock.

b. Job Title - Commissioning Team Manager.

c. amy.allcock@lincolnshire.gov.uk

2. Please see the attached table.

If you would like to see a copy of this attachment, please request it from CustomerInformationService@lincolnshire.gov.uk quoting the reference number 3420398.

3. 

4. Local Authority Allowances:

a. 0 to 4 - £147.16.

b. 5 to 10 - £167.29.

c. 11 to 15 - £208.01.

d. 16 to 18 - £252.91.

Independent Foster Agencies:

a. 0 to 4 - 2021/22 - £763.11.

b. 5 to 10 - 2021/22 - £857.53.

c. 11 to 15 - 2021/22 - £839.24.

d. 16 to 18 - 2021/22 - £758.83.

5. 

The below list of Providers have been accepted onto Lincolnshire County Council's Open Select List (OSL) and will therefore receive referrals in the first instance before it is sent to the wider market place. Being part of the Council's OSL does not guarantee a Provider any business and all placements commissioned through OSL are subject to a mini-competition procurement process; therefore not every provider on this list has provided a placement to a Lincolnshire young person.

In addition, there are times when the Council are made aware of safeguarding concerns or issues with a specific Provider on the list, during those times those Providers will not receive referrals until they are able to offer assurance to the Council that there are no risks to any young people placed in that provision.

The below is a list of expenditure and number of placements for Independent Foster Agencies on LCC's Open Select List (OSL) during 2020/21. For confidentiality purposes, the names of providers have been anonymised.

6.